Want to visit a secret garden in London? Well, visiting Hampstead Heath Pergola is for you!
Most people visit Hampstead Heath to go to Parliament Hill to see a view of London, to visit Kenwood House, swim in the Hampstead Heath Bathing Ponds or for a general walk around the Heath, many do not know about the Hampstead Pergola and Hill Gardens!
How To Visit Hampstead Heath Pergola!
The main reason not as many people visit the Hampstead Pergola & Hill Gardens is because it is not located in the same part of Hampstead Heath as Parliament Hill, Kenwood House and the Bathing Ponds which is where people usually go walking in Hampstead Heath so you don’t just randomly come across it.
The Pergola Hill Garden in Hampstead is located in the North-Western part of Hampstead Heath, across the road and closer to Golders Green than Hampstead Village.
However it’s still easy to reach from Hampstead so, in this Hampstead Travel Guide and Hampstead Blog, I’m going to tell you how to visit the Hampstead Heath Pergola.
How beautiful is the Hampstead Heath Pergola Hill Garden!
How to get to Hampstead Pergola
First up, use the help of Google Maps as Google knows the directions to the Hampstead Heath Pergola and Hill Gardens, click here to find it on google maps!
The closest Hampstead station to Hampstead Pergola and Hill Garden is Hampstead Tube Station on the Northern Line and you walk up through Hampstead Village to the North-Western Side of Hampstead Heath.
This part of the Heath is a lot less visited and a bit more wild than the Eastern side of the Heath so you may feel like you are following the footpath to the Hill Garden and Pergola in Hampstead and it’s not the right direction but after walking through some forestry you will suddenly see a huge, old building in the middle of the forest!
Hampstead Hill Garden History
The land needed to be raised in order to have the large Gardens Lord Leverhulme wanted, luckily at the the the Northern Line was being built at the same time in Hampstead so the rumble that was used to dig out the tunnels was taken here to raise the hill!
Be sure to climb the stairs to get this view over the Hampstead Heath Pergola Hill Garden!
It was finished in 1906 and extended again in 1911.
Between this time and the Second World War, The Great War stopped construction, Lord Leverhulme died and The Hill was purchased by Baron Inverforth and renamed Inverforth House who lived there until his death in 1955 and after this, it was used as a home for the Manor House Hospital.
The Second World War was not kind to The Hill Garden and unfortunately, the London Country Council who bought the Pergola and gardens after the war and opened it up to the public was abolished a few years later.
Nature quickly took over and the garden and pergola was once again left in a very dilapidated condition with much of the timber rotting and twisting beyond repair.
Restoration has been done since then now that it’s back open to the public, however when you visit you’ll see that the climbing plants have still taken hold of the main building and it is not how it once looked due to the finance that would be required to fully restore it and look after it.
With that being said, it is looked after and you can walk right up into the main building and through the arches at the top and all through the gardens when you visit which is really nice.
Try and plan your visit to Hampstead Heath Pergola on a sunny day!
This is a perfect spot for photos!
Hill Garden and Pergola Hampstead Opening Times:
8:30 AM and closes before dusk. *Times subject to change*
Hill Garden and Pergola Hampstead Entrance Fee:
Free!
How do I get to Hampstead Pergola?
The closest Hampstead station to Hampstead Pergola and Hill Garden is Hampstead Tube Station on the Northern Line and you walk up through Hampstead Village to the North-Western Side of Hampstead Heath.
This part of Hampstead Heath is also very close to Golders Green so you could get off at Golders Green Tub Station on the Northern Line and walk from there.
There’s also plenty of bus stops around Hampstead too so be sure to use City Mapper to check the best route!
Afterwards head back into Hampstead Village to visit one of the many cafes in Hampstead, or continue your walk on the other side of Hampstead Heath.
Christiane
Friday 7th of July 2023
Thank you for sharing this with us. I found Pergola and Hill Garden by a hasard and were so happy. It is really a little treasur and it was the Highlight of my last London Visit in June. Your Post gave me the latest Information after my visit. It was nice to read about the history. Best wishes from Christiane from Germany
TheWanderingQuinn
Sunday 9th of July 2023
This is lovely to hear! :)